Kannagara
by thelostboyss
Summary: When a strange boy is born on the other side of the Elemental Nations, how will the world change in the presence of this new boy, his clan, their history, and their power? Come and see the story of Kintaro Shinzoku! Full disclaimer: this character is a OC male with a kekkei genkai so if you don't like those type of stories, keep it moving!


Chapter 1: His name is Kintaro Shinzoku

The Shinzoku girl was bleeding out. Something had gone wrong with the childbirth. Yori Shinzoku had never been a scholar, but it did not take a scholar to figure that out. They only had Asaki, a midwife of the clan. This was something Masaru had not considered in his mad plan: the girl might not live long enough to give birth to his son. A scream broke him out of his thoughts, and he remembered why he was this room. Nothing in his vows required him to stay here; she was Masaru's wife, true, but her son had been born already and he was their leader now. If he had been any other man, he might have left the girl who had further divided the Shinzoku to bleed. But that was unfair; he loved Masaru, as a clan head, as a brother, but Masaru was mad. His arrogance had driven him to war, and his love for this Shinzoku girl of the Amatsukami faction had driven him to lock her away in here. No, he was staying because her brother was still miles away, the other two were guarding their tower, and right now, he was her only friend.

Yori knelt down beside her, and her hand clutched his instinctively and he could feel the chakra surging. Even as she died, her grip was strong. It was a shame such strength had been born to a woman. If she had been a man, she could have been one of the greatest shinobi in the world. But when the ancestors leave this world and go to the next, they lose what makes them human and gain a sick and otherworldly sense of humor along the way. They had cursed her to a life of nursing, dresses, and other dainty things. It was because of her father that this war had begun in the first place. If only he'd just married Takara off to Masaru like everyone expected in order to improve relations between the Kunitsukami and the Amatsukami factions, this unnecessary war never would have happened. Her father tried to control her, restrain her, and just had to arrange a marriage between her and the one man she absolutely abhorred: Chō Kusaregedo.

His blood boiled when he thought of that oaf. Chō loved Princess Takara, truly he did. But as they had all learned in their time in this tower, he was in love with a dream. Takara was not a princess, was not meant to wear pretty dresses and giggle and be obedient and good. She was fierce - a natural warrior like no other - and in some ways, was more like Chō than a lady. Both of them fought for what they wanted, were stubborn beyond compare, and were blinded by their own wants. Chō by his love, Takara by her urge for her freedom. Perhaps, if her father had put more thought into things, none of this would have happened.

"Asaki," she whispered, her voice weak. She didn't have long, only a few minutes at best. From outside the room, her son's wailing could be heard. A weary smile crossed her face. "Let me see him. Let me hold my son."

Maybe before all this, had she asked of him, he would have denied her. The Heir must be taken far from here. He is no longer your concern. But no matter where he stood before, he couldn't deny her this. He called to Asaki, who was holding the poor child, and she entered. The baby was swaddled in Yori's own golden cloak. There had been little else to use, and it was old anyway. He wouldn't need it where they were going, besides. She passed him the child, who continued to cry out, and he in turn passed him to Takara.

Almost as soon as the child was in her arms, he quieted down. She was his mother, after all. Of course he would find comfort in her. She shushed him, rocking him slowly, back and forth. She was weak, and Yori was surprised she was managing to hold onto the child. He had no name yet, having only been born some hours ago. They would need a name for the head of their clan. It only seemed right that his mother, who he would never know, should be the one to decide.

"Is he here? Has he come?" There was no need to clarify who she meant. Satoshi Shinzoku had taken only a small part in all of this, but he was their friend, even if he was apart of the Amarsukami. When he learned that Satoshi Shinzoku was coming to Ashigara to search for his sister, Yori sent a messenger hawk out immediately. He had no way of knowing that the rightful heir was with them, so he only warned them. His letter was concise and simple: Leave. Save yourselves while you still can. Satoshi Shinzoku may not kill you, but Chō Kusaregedo surely will. Go, my brothers. Go across the Suijin Sea, if you wish. Serve Takama-ga-hara and protect her children. The war will come to a close soon. I pray that one day, you will forgive me.

There was nothing to forgive him for. He was an honorable man, a warrior to the end. If the head of the Shinzoku was dead, he would do his duty and protect the next. That was who he was. He had no way of knowing that his next clan head was here, with them. One day, Yori hoped they could tell him and that he could join them in their fight for the son of Masaru.

"No. Takara, I'm sorry. He has not come." It might have been that which had kept her alive for so long. Asaki said that she should have died hours ago, not long after the child was born. But Takara was nothing if not a fighter. She had fought for her right to be free. She had fought to bring her child into this world. She had fought to see her brother. Now, though, there was not enough time for her to fight any longer. She couldn't hold on forever, and Satoshi was still a long way away.

She gripped his arm, pulling him closer to her. There was desperation in her eyes. She knew that it was almost over, too. Masaru was dead, had been killed on the Hill of Ancestry. Izanari's island had been stormed by the Asura clan's infantry forces, who beheaded him, a crime they could not entirely fault them for. Izana was across the sea, somewhere in the Elemental nation's hopefully kept safe by Tadaoki. All that remained now was her and the three daughters and her son who had not been named.

"Promise me," she began, stopping to swallow hard and stop the tears, "promise me if things get bad you'll send my son somewhere safe. To a loving home with a caring mother to love him and a strong father to discipline him. Whatever my crimes, whatever my faults, do not blame them on him. Please."

He felt these words had been more prepared for her brother than him. She was asking him to do something that was already his duty. She knew he would have carried this out, regardless if she had asked for it. But she was dying, and a dying mother was allowed to have some wishes for her children. He held her hand that was on his arm. "I promise you, on my ancestors, on your old gods, on the shichi fujukin, and the others too. By all kami, I promise you I will ensure that your child is safe until my last day."

Takara smiled, and the last of her energy left her. She sagged back against the pillows, looking exhausted. "I had hoped to see my brother before this. I guess this is my punishment for all I have done. I will not see my brother and my son will not know me." She let out a humorless laugh. "It's not nearly enough recompense for all that has happened, but it hurts enough that I suppose the kami do not care."

"Takara-sama," for Masaru had married her before he left, which made her apart of the Kunitsukami faction, "you cannot leave us yet. Not yet." Her eyelids were beginning to droop. He knew that if she slept now, she would never wake from it. "Takara, please, do not leave yet. Your son needs a name. Let him have one last gift from his mother."

That did it. Her eyes opened wide, and there was a surprised look in them. It was almost like she had forgotten to take her shoes off in bed rather than name her son before she died. Yori had taken the boy back, afraid that in her weakening state, Takara might drop him. With his help, she held him for the last time. She looked at his face, at his tuft of dark hair and his violet eyes. He looked like a perfect mix between his father than his mother.

"Kintaro," she finally murmured, so low that Masaru had to lean in to be sure he heard right.

"Kintaro," she repeated more firmly. He nodded. Masaru may have declared that the name was far too soft-sounding for his son, Kintaro which mean golden boy- He'd preferred a warrior's name, like Takeshi - but he was not here now. Kintaro would fit him better, anyway. The way the sun's rays gleamed on his skin, the boy looked like he was truly made of gold. He had the handsome appearance and brown hair of his father, his mother's alluring violet eyes and a peculiar birthmark of crimson lines running parallel down his face.

"Kintaro," Yori agreed. The boy fussed in his arms, and he thought about how the boy would never be held by his mother again. It brought an ache to his heart. Hadn't there been enough death and suffering from this war and Masaru's accursed war? Weren't there enough orphaned boys out there, that had no one? Did the gods have to add another to that list? Were they punishing the boy - Kintaro - for a crime his parents had committed and not he himself? Or were the ancestors just cruel like that?

Her grip was slackening, her fingers slipping away. "Yori," she breathed, voice little more than a whisper. Desperately, he reached for her hand. It was futile; he was trying to hold onto her life, to keep her there with him. Maybe they weren't the best of friends. Maybe she wasn't Kanae and he wasn't Satoshi but for almost a year, she'd been his only friend beside Goro and Haruhito, and he hers. By the ancestors, he couldn't just let her go without a fight.

"Please, tell . . . tell Satoshi I'm . . . I'm sorry for . . . all that has . . . happened . . . and the truth . . . and that I . . . I love him . . . so much . . ." With a final sigh, she let her head fall back. The light that had once glowed so brightly in her violet eyes, the light that had been her will to live and fight, fizzled out. Only darkness and an empty feeling was left. She was no longer a lively girl that was too young to die. She was now just a corpse, just another story to be told.

He began to weep. How could he not? It was all too much. Hiroki had been his best friend, and now he was gone. His mistakes had brought on war between the Shinzoku, Asura, Kusaregedo and many of the other great independent clans, and so many had paid with their lives for it. He held a baby boy in his arms that wouldn't know his mother or father, would spend most of his life running from shadows. Before him was the body of a girl that had not deserved all this pain, that had only been looking for freedom. It wasn't fair. None of it was.

He didn't know how long he had sat there, holding her lifeless hand and her child, who cried now. He was only broken out of his tears when he felt a firm and gentle hand on his shoulder. Looking away from the girl, he stared up into the eyes of Zenjiro. The commander of the golden legion eye's were filled with sadness; Takara had been his friend, albeit a short time, too. She was not to be blamed for Masaru's mistakes.

"She-she's," he tried to say, but couldn't bring himself to. Zenjiro only nodded. He knew. He understood. His hand hadn't left Yori's shoulder. He was looking down at the baby now, a silent question on his face. "Kintaro. His name is Kintaro Shinzoku."

"The golden boy, it suits him. He will lead us well when the time comes," Zenjiro promised, though there was that unspoken thought in there. They'd believed Masaru would be a good leader, and look what had happened. They could only pray that between themselves and the ancestors, Kintaro Shinzoku would not take after his mother. "We need to leave soon," Zenjiro continued. "We're going to have to find passage to the elemental nations. If luck is on our side we may stumble upon a couple wanting a child."

Yori nodded, not wanting to speak. There wasn't anything to say, really. The Tower of Uzume had served them well during the war. But it wouldn't be long before someone found them and Chō Kusaregedo came looking for the boy. They couldn't hide here forever, and the Tower was no place to raise a child.

They'd left a note for Satoshi, as well as Asaki and the body of Takara. Yori prayed it would be enough, prayed it would keep them from being pursued. Takara had sworn that her brother was nothing like Chō Kusaregedo. But things change. It may have been unwise, leaving the only woman they had at the tower. The three of them took turns holding Kintaro, feeding him from the goat's milk they carried. It would run out soon, but thankfully, they were only a day away from Takumi, a small unaffiliated village known for fishing and shipbuilding. We'll make our way from there, he thought to himself.

He had not seen his sister Kanae since the Tournament of God's. She had been Suzaku's friend and stayed with the Empress through it all, faking the anger and rage at Masaru's actions.

~1~

The road was dusty, the air was dry, and the sun hot. Their battle-armor was wearing them down. When they stopped, it wasn't for very long. They didn't know what Satoshi would choose to do. They had to keep moving. Little Kintaro was asleep, resting in the crook of Masaru's arm. His gold cloak still covered the boy protected his skin from the sun. That was what he did most of the day; he would eat, sleep, and cry. By now they had gotten used to the cycle.

"Up ahead," Zenjiro called out, his voice dull and raspy from the road. They didn't speak much between one another, as there wasn't much to speak about. Yori raised his head from where he had been gazing down at Kintaro, and a smile lit his face. Takumi was just as he remembered, majestic and beautiful and home. He hadn't been there in years, having served in the Ōgonshokugundan for many.

As they neared, border patrol stepped out into rod the road and approached them. They stopped some feet away, shouting, "You there, stop!"

Yori was tired and sore and irritable from the long journey. So were the others. Rather than kindly greet them and ask for shelter, he called out to them, "Step aside you fools. Don't you recognize one of the great Shinzoku clan's shinobi when you see one?"

"Yori-sama?" They asked incredulously, their faces ones of shock and surprise. No one had heard of the fate that had befallen Yori Shinzoku and his two brothers in the war. It was as if they had seen a ghost.

"Yes," he snapped, "now are you going to make myself and my fellow Ōgonshokugundan here wait in the sun, or will you move so we may enter Takumi?"

The men quickly moved aside, giving hurried, "Yes, sir" and "please forgive us." He didn't have the time nor strength to correct those who used the wrong honorific. Instead, he and the other two urged

forward and entered Takumi.

Yori embraced Kanae once they were alone in her room. Kintaro was sleeping on the bed, having been fed milk from the wetnurse, Kanami, and taken care of. He and Zenjiro and Goro had been given food and water and rooms to stay in. They would leave soon, probably in the next day or two, so Yori made sure to spend a little time with his sister before they left.

"Oh brother, I heard about Masaru on the Hill. Chō Kusaregedo's father plans to rule over the entirety of Takama-ga-hara. What will you do?" Her eyes were sorrowful, though they held some joy at being reunited with him again. She had lost so much.

"We're going to take the heir to the Elemental nations, from there we will make the decision to either raise him ourselves or find someone else to raise him and then collect him after the war." He could trust Kanae. Even if her loyalties were not to Suzaku, she would never betray her own kin.

"Of course, only . . ." she trailed off, a look of regret coming onto her face.

"What, sister? What is it? Has something happened?" Could the ancestors be so dissatisfied that they would punish them even more? Had Chō Kusaregedo? Killed them? Smiled at the bodies of little children and the baby that had yet to be born?

She bit her lip, and he saw the pity in her gaze. "Brother, Izana-sama . . . word reached us that she, along with her children. She died birthing her son, Ryuu Shinzoku of the Kunitsukami."

Yori stepped away as if slapped. Izana Shinzoku? He ran a hand through his pale hair, shocked to the core. Another dead Shinzoku child. All because Masaru was so set in having things his way and his way alone. The ancestors were cruel.

"So it's true?" Kanae asked, standing next to where Kintaro lay. She brushed his cheek with her thumb. "This is the new heir? Your new heir?" There was no hate in her voice, as he had known, only weary resignation. Of course she would be saddened by the sight; she had only just lost her own child.

"Yes. His name is Kintaro."

"He has a perfect balance between Takara and Masaru," she murmured, more to herself than him. She spoke again, this time directly to him. "Did you see Satoshi? Did he come to the Tower?"

He shook his head. "No. Satoshi-sama was on his way, but Takara had already died and we were not sure where his loyalties lay."

"You could have trusted him. He would have done nothing to his sister's child." He had suspected as much, though he couldn't be certain.

"Sister," he said, taking her hands in his. "Will you come with us? Kintaro needs someone to care for him. I know you lost your own child, but we could use you." When she turned her head away at the mention of her daughter, he cupped her cheek, bringing her eyes back to his.

"I can't, Yori. I just- I just don't know anymore." She sat down on the bed, resting her head in her hands. "We have lost so many. I don't know if I can truly deal with this anymore. First Hiroki, then Suzaku and sweet Otome and little Haruto. Now Takara and Nobuko. I just don't know anymore," she repeated, shoulders shaking as she began sobbing. Her words should not have affected him so, but there was something hidden behind them. There was some meaning that he wasn't catching on to. With a start, he realized what it was.

He backed away now, fearful of the truth. She-she couldn't. No, not his sister. She wouldn't. "Kanae, you're not saying-"

"I am!" She screeched, jumping to her feet. The noise had woken Kintaro, who began crying. Neither of them could spare him a thought, so caught up were they in this sickening realization. "I can't do it anymore! Everyone's gone. They'll give me away, sell me to someone else. I understand why Takara ran. I do now. I can't love anyone besides Hideki and now he's gone. I don't have Suzaku to rely on, to give me strength. I don't have her children to give me happiness and I don't have my own to care for! And you're going to leave me too. You're going to leave me for the clan head that brought this all upon us! You're going to leave me to protect the cause of so much bloodshed and war!"

Her face was red and tears ran down her cheeks. Yori could only stare at his sister, unable to move. Kami, she was really thinking about it. She would really do it. All of a sudden, the anger left her. Kanae's shoulders drooped and she seemed barely able to hold herself upright. Kintaro was still crying, and now she heard him. Walking slowly over to the bed, she picked him up, cradling him to her chest. After her outburst, Yori put a hand on his katana's handle, afraid his sister might try something.

She waved her free hand dismissively. "Don't worry, brother. I won't hurt him. It's unfair to blame him, I know. He wasn't even born when this all started. But I meant what I said. I can't do this anymore. I love you brother, I do. You have a purpose in this world. You have him to protect. You have a leader to serve. There is nothing for me."

Carefully, she held Kintaro out to Yori. Tentatively, Yori took the baby. He could not stop himself from shielding the baby slightly. This was not the sister he knew. She saw his action, but there was no hurt in her eyes. Only a small, sad smile twitched at her lips before it disappeared.

"Go, Yori. Raise your heir. Help usher in a new era, a better era for the Shinzoku. But do not try to stop me. There is nothing you can do to make me feel better. No one can. I'm sorry, Yori. I truly am. I love you."

Yori began to cry, and so did she. They both knew it was true. Nothing could be done to stop her. It was her choice. Yori had reason to remain. She did not. And as much as he loved his dear, sweet, caring sister, he couldn't stop her. So he cried, and let her hold him. He let her scent wash over her, let the feeling of her arms be burned into his skin, for after they left, he would never feel it again.

"I'm sorry, brother," she whispered against his hair, placing a soft kiss against it. He wept, almost as much as he did when Takara died, for this would be the last time his sister would ever embrace him.

The next morning Yori woke up to the surprise of his sister, his only living relative was gone. Her clothes, her belongings, everything she brought with her was now gone. He was obviously saddened by her departure but he knew that it wasn't good to dwell on things that couldn't be changed. Besides, there were more important matters to attend to.

He bathed, groomed, and dressed himself as quickly as he could before leaving his room and finding his companions eating breakfast and Kintaro with them, eating small bites of orange slices that Goro fed him, much to the boy's delight.

"What the hell are you doing, idiot?" He demanded, scoffing when he saw the confused glances he'd gotten from Zenjiro and Goro.

"Feeding the kid. He was crying and babies only cry when they're hungry, need to shit, or need to be burped. I had some orange slices, which I hate, so I broke them up into little bits and fed him and now he's happy. Personally, I think little Kintaro likes them, don't you Kintaro-kun?" The large man cooed as he directed his question at the infant who gurgled happily and bounced on the man's knee.

"Stop babying Kintaro-sama, Goro. You're making him soft and the Shinzoku cannot afford weakness, not now." scolded Zenjiro who twitched in annoyance as he noticed that Goro hadn't even taken his eyes off Kintaro.

"Oh shut the hell up, Zenjiro-jiji." he replied, chuckling as he got a rise out of the older male, "don't be jealous just because you weren't hugged enough as a child."

"I wasn't babied when I was his age, hell, I wasn't babied my entire life and look how I turned out." Zenjiro responded almost immediately and a second later, Goro smirked devilishly.

"An emotionally stunted old man who's getting his panties in a bind because I'm babying a fucking baby." Shot back Goro before he noticed his mistake, "Excuse my language, Kintaro-kun." Zenjiro made a move to respond but paused as he realized what the man had just said.

"Point taken; but don't you even glance in my direction if Kintaro-sama turns out to be a pansy when he's older. . ." he sighed in defeat, returning to his breakfast.

"Seeing as we can't just hang out, living in hotels and feeding orange slices to baby's, we need to formulate a course of action for Kintaro. I think it would be best to send overseas to one of the hidden villages of the Elemental Nations."

"How about Kumogakure? They're pretty militaristic and it'll be good discipline for the boy." Zenjiro was the first to offer his opinion. Kumogakure was the most heavily militarized shinobi village in all of the Elemental nations and if they could teach the heir to the Shinzoku clan anything, they could teach him to fight, win, and survive.

"Very true, Zenjiro-san. Although, they're infamous for having war hawks in their leader's council and if war does breakout, Kintaro could be forced into war and die if he's not ready." Yori critiqued the idea perfectly and he knew that both Goro and Zenjiro would agree that Kumo was off the table.

Goro sipped his tea as he listened to the two men bicker over where the heir to the Shinzoku clan should go. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Kintaro grow with fascination as he saw the steam rise from the hot tea.

"How's Kirigakure doing these days?" he said as he watched the steam rise with baby Kintaro.

"After the death of the Yagura, the Sandaime Mizukage, Kirigakure has outlawed bloodlines and actively hunts down and kills all those who fall under such a category."

"And how exactly does that effect Kintaro-kun?" Goro inquired.

"With what he'll be capable of as a Shinzoku and Masaru's son no less, suspicion of him having a bloodline will surely rise with time."

"Please tell me no one's going to suggest Iwa." Zenjiro pleaded but soon sighed in relief as the two men scoffed at the very name of the Hidden Village in Tsuchi no Kuni. They'd sooner forsake the Shinzoku clan and die a thousand deaths before sending their heir to be under the protection of a country in utter shambles.

"Well all that's left is Konohagakure. . ." Yori let the words settle into the minds of two men and the very confused baby.

"After the Kyuubi attack you want to send the heir, to pretty much the entire Shinzoku clan, to fucking Konoha, tell me this is a joke." Zenjiro snorted at the idea not only was it risky and irresponsible, it was really stupid as well.

"Here me out. There are many advantages of sending him to Konohagakure. For instance, they've already made the Yondaime's son the jinchuriki, so it's likely that he'll receive the proper training to control the Kyuubi. After the third war, they're. They have many notable shinobi that are more than capable of defending the village. Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, Asuma Sarutobi, Shisui Uchiha, Fugaku Uchiha, Hiashi and Hizashi Hyuuga, and Hiruzen Sarutobi has retaken his position as Hokage."

"And just like Konohagakure has Sarutobi Hiruzen and all those splendid shinobi to protect them, they also have Danzo Shimura who if Kintaro turns out to be truly exceptional, will seek him out. On top of that, you have the Uchiha clan butting heads with the village, surely a civil war could breakout. One of the legendary Sannin, Orochimaru is still out there and likely has someone in the Leaf doing some of his dirty work."

"How about we put it to a vote then?" Suggested Goro, "All those who wish to send Kintaro, Son of Masaru and Takara, heir to the Shinzoku clan to Konohagakure, raise your hand." Masaru's hand went up without hesitation, Goro's hand went up right after and Kintaro tried mimicking the adults but his hand was gently popped by Goro. Zenjiro sat there, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, and face expressionless.

"I don't believe Konoha is safe enough for the boy." He said firmly, refusing to lament on his opinion.

"How about this: we take a ship to the Elemental nations, travel to Hi no Kuni and head for the village. If we stumble upon a couple that wants to raise a baby we'll evaluate them and decide, If-"

"What if we don't find anyone in Hi no Kuni who wants a baby?" Zenjiro proposed

"Then we send Masarui's contact to pop in and observe Kintaro at least once a week." Yori responded with a confident look on his tired face; it was only a matter of time until Zenjiro caved in and agreed.

"Masaru's contact?" Goro inquired before his eyes bulged in realization, "you mean-" before Goro could even finish his question, he was cut-off by Zenjiro.

"He's a fine warrior. If he promises to look after the boy while in Konohagakure I see no problem in the plan." Zenjiro sighed, arms still folded and his overall body language indicated that he didn't agree with fully the plan.

"Alright men and child, let's get moving, we have a ship to catch. . ." Yori nodded contently as his eyes drifted from a blank-faced Zenjiro, a absent-minded Goro, to a drooling Kintaro happily playing with the utensils his little arms could reach out for.

A/N: Hope you guys liked this prologue to my first story. I know that this chapter was short and that you're probably frustrated by all the names. The only names you need to actually remember throughout this story.

Those names are Takara, Masaru, Yori, Izana, Taodaoki, Chō, Satoshi, and obviously Kintaro. Stay safe guys, the next chapter'll be uploaded when I get a chance.


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